PANDEF Urges PBAT To Assent To SSDC Bill

President Bola Tinubu has been urged to assent to the Bill establishing the South South Development Commission, SSDC.

Stakeholders in the Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, made the appeal during a news conference in Abuja.

Speaking on behalf of the Stakeholders, the National Publicity Secretary of PANDEF, Olorogun Obiuwevbi Oniminimi said the move would further enhance the development of the region.

“The Board of Trustees, BOT, of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, called on President Bola Tinubu to as a matter of urgency assent to the bill establishing the South South Development Commission, SSDC to avoid creating a feeling of exclusion and dejection on the people of the region”.

PANDEF expressed concern that the region was part of those yet to have the Commission in the country and the non Assent to the bill would leave the region orphaned within the broader context of the Regional Development Commission which includes the six geo political zones.

Oniminimi said the President’s continued withholding of assent to the bill after signing the others submitted at the same time as passed by the National Assembly was capable of creating a feeling of exclusion and dejection on the part of the people of the South-South.

“The non signing of the law could have a negative impact on the present state of peace which exist in the Niger Delta and the favourable environment which it creates for the upsurge in the production of oil and gas in the country” the PANDEF spokesman emphasized.”

The Stakeholders’ also recommended the reversal of the name “Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.”

PANDEF commends the Governors of the South-South for their efforts in working towards sustainable development of the area, despite the very difficult terrain and environmental circumstances which many of them have to grapple with.”

“PANDEF BOT therefore calls on Mr. President to remedy the oversight which has resulted in the delay to assent to this bill and sign it without delay as this is a fair and just manner of treating the south-south zone as bonafide citizens of this country who deserve not to be discriminated against.”

The BOT while making a special case of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, reminded the President and the Federal Government that the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) was established by law in 2000 to mitigate specific issues targeting oil mineral producing communities and to create an enabling environment for hitch free oil and gas activities in the host communities, hence the NDDC has its own specific funding formula and modus operandi.”

“PANDEF further noted that, whereas the Niger Delta region has a definite geographic boundary, the membership of the NDDC has extended beyond this boundary to include other oil producing states such as Abia, Imo, Ondo and others, with a possibility of extending further to include other states in the future.”

“The meeting therefore strongly recommended that the name, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) which could become a misnomer, should revert to its earlier designation as Oil Mineral Production Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC).

On the mini-LNGs and gas development, they also discussed issues pertaining to the oil and gas sector and noted with regret the recent decision of NNPC to join some private investors to develop five new LNG, CNG and LPG complexes with none in the Niger Delta, where the gas for most of these activities will come from.

“Apart from the fact that this negates all known economic parameters on siting industries close to source of raw materials, it gives credence to the long standing agitation on the fact that NNPC and its management continue to pursue very unfair policies towards the South-South zone.”

“The BOT therefore called on Mr. President to direct the NNPC to redress this situation and equally accelerate similar investments in the Niger Delta, which should include the siting of mini refineries within the area.”

By Georgina Humphrey